


chill factor

by Ruyi



Series: touken ranbu prompts [25]
Category: Kagerou Project, 刀剣乱舞 | Touken Ranbu
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Death, Gen, Snakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-29 19:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20087449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruyi/pseuds/Ruyi
Summary: The modern AU where Yagen works as a pharmacist and gets a really annoying customer one day.





	chill factor

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the tumblr prompt [Liberosis: The desire to care less about things.] Apologies in advance for a rather abrupt ending. :p

_A package of snakeskin. Two vials of bile. One of venom._

Once he’s checked the contents, Yagen puts the items to one side and pushes a bottle across the table.

‘Acceptable.  Here’s your half of the deal.’

His pale-faced customer picks up the medicine with a grin half bordering on a sneer, but pauses to shake the contents within. “Hey.” 

Yagen ignores him, so he keeps talking.

“Aren’t you even a little bit curious about what I use these for?”  


The _tantou’s _gaze flickers to him briefly before going back to his table. ‘No.’

“It doesn’t bother you that I come for refills every week? Or that I always have enough quota to give you what _you _want?”  


‘You come every other day now,’ Yagen corrects him. ‘And I’ll need the same amount next time, too.’ He finishes putting away the items before adding as an afterthought, ‘Thanks.’  


“What do you need so much of _this _for?” "Kuroha" asks, eyes sweeping over the expanse of glass cabinets behind the shorter figure. All of them contain various ingredients or medical tools, with a single section reserved for secretions from his…’_pets.’_  


‘They’re used in traditional medicine,’ Yagen’s voice is noncommittal. ‘The ones you trade me are better than the types they sell in the market.’  


“Oh? Suddenly feeling generous enough to share?” his companion grins and leans down until they’re face-to-face. “Does that mean you’re ready to answer my other questions too?”  


‘I’m going home before it gets dark,’ Yagen shuts him down instead. And as Kuroha steps back with another unreadable chuckle, the _tantou _simply circles around him and walks out of the room. They’d known each other long enough to learn names and dislikes, but not much else. Yagen prefers to keep it that way, even if his most frequent customer never stops trying to find out _more. _

Sometimes he doesn’t know if he’s an easy target, or if Kuroha really has no other friends.

They end up leaving the hospital building at the same time. The _tantou _draws his jacket tighter to protect against the cold, while Kuroha sounds visibly disgruntled at the sight of fresh falling snow. He mutters something about _summer _and _heat, _but his voice is soon lost in the background as Yagen quickens his steps.

Until the _sphluurt._

Yagen's heel sinks into the snow as he pivots to look back. 

“I read [a story](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTo_Build_a_Fire&t=MGVmNWU2NjdmNjQ5NTExZTY2NmViYjZmZjkxOTVhZjQyOTYzYjVmMCxLYnY5RTU0Uw%3D%3D&b=t%3A3gez9oUTsiyj51mRVeTeMQ&p=https%3A%2F%2Fyeahgen.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F178528753881%2Fliberosis-0&m=1) the other day,” Kuroha says conversationally. He’s crouching on the ground, hands and arms busy _digging _into something beneath him. “About a man and his dog lost in the middle of snow.”

His fingers shift, and more _squelching _noises follow.

“The man was stupid,” the whimsical, lilting voice continues, “And tried to build a fire under a tree. Of course the heat melted the snow off the branches and doused his flames. But you know who was more stupid? The dog.”

Faintly, Yagen thinks he can feel the snowflakes seeping into the spaces between his neck and collar, melting into cold drops of water against his skin. He’s not sure how that’s possible when he already feels like _ice._  


“It knew its master was an idiot, but it followed him anyways. Even after the man ignored warnings to go out into the cold. Even after he forced it across a frozen river first to test for cracks. Up to the moment its master cut it open and used its organs for warmth, it stood there like an idiot, waiting and whimpering but never thinking to _run.”_  


There is a dark puddle slowly staining the sidewalk red as it gradually freezes its way through the snow.

“It makes me think–what was so great about that human to make the dog that devoted? Or was it really just that dumb?” Kuroha pauses to raise his hands, both dyed in brilliant shades of flickering scarlet beneath the broken streetlight. “But I was more curious about how he tried to stay warm. And it’s true,” he adds with a short bark of laughter. “Organs really _are _warm. Even in weather like this.”  


Scientifically speaking, a healthy human body maintains an average internal temperature of 37°C. Of all its organs, the liver holds the greatest amount of blood and the highest temperature at 39.6°C. Why Yagen remembered that particular fact, he has no idea.

“Ahhh, I really hate winter! She’s cooling down already, that’s no good.”  


The body starts turning cold as soon as the heart stops beating, dropping an average of 0.83 degrees Celsius per hour until it reaches room temperatures. Left outside like this, it’ll probably freeze like the rest of the city. 

“Hey, are you just going to stand there?”  


_I should do something, _Yagen thinks faintly. _Maybe call for help_–this was next to the hospital, after all. But no, _she’s already dead. _

“I was expecting more of a rise out of you, maybe–but was that too much? You’re not human, I know, but nothing? _Really._ Or have you done this too many times yourself for it to make an impact?”  


‘There’s nothing else I can do.’ Yagen finally responds, but it’s the wrong answer to a question that was never asked. A slip, and perhaps he feels it too, because the next thing he knows he’s turning around and starting to walk away.  


But Kuroha _reaches, _touches his sleeve with wet fingertips, and Yagen instantly recoils, sliding back several feet until they’re wide apart. He ends up with a red handprint by his elbow and the stench of blood rushing up his nose. Silence settles between them like the soft blanket of snow coating the ground. In the aftermath, the _tantou _straightens up and puts his hand in his pockets, careful to keep the fingers relaxed.

“You feel something, at least.” the other sounds almost bored.  


‘Not enough for what you’re looking for,’ Yagen intones.  


“Maybe I haven’t been pushing the right buttons.”

‘Maybe there’s nothing to push.’  


“Nothing _yet.” _  


The threat hangs in the air unacknowledged, even as the sirens draw closer and people start rushing to the scene. It’s a public space, after all–blatant murder won’t go unnoticed for long. 

“See you in two days!” Kuroha has the gall to smirk at him before disappearing into the shadows. Yagen can’t be bothered to chase him, but hurries to his victim instead. She’s in her early twenties, slightly overweight, dressed well for the season but a sprawling mess from the chest down. He doesn’t understand how she could have stayed so _quiet._

And then they do the autopsy and there they find the pills. A third of a bottle’s worth, half-digested in her stomach. They’re unmarked, but he knows them well enough, having made a steady supply for the past few weeks. Custom anaglesics, designed to dull pain as well as the senses. Two is usually enough for a day, but…

His eyes trail up to the woman’s hair. It’s long and yellow, almost like one of his bro—

He stops the thought before it goes any farther.

–

“Do you prefer blondes or pinkettes?” Kuroha asks him approximately 41 hours later.   


‘Neither.’ Yagen measures out the usual vials of snake venom and stores them away.  


“I think you’d pick one over the other if I gave you an option.”

_‘Neither,’ _he stresses again.  


“You’re no fun.”  


‘Maybe you should go bother someone else.’  


“I could. But would you let me go after knowing what I’ve done?”  


‘I’m not your keeper.’  


“No,” Kuroha agrees. “But I think I’m starting to turn into _yours.”_  


Yagen wants to deny it, but he suddenly has to focus on not gripping the glass too tight.

“Why didn’t you tell the police?”   


‘And let you bask in all that attention?’

“They’re already talking about what I did. All over the city! It won’t be long before they connect the dots.”  


‘I say they do a faster job tracing the drugs to me instead.’  


“And then what? Accuse you of being the murderer? Oh, that’d be a twist!”

‘It doesn’t matter either way.’  


“Look at you, spoiling all the fun again.”  


‘You care too much about this.’

“And _I _think,” the snake hisses gleefully as he leans in close, “You wish you could care _less.”_  


* * *

> _This is the joke omake because my plot bunny went on vacation after this hah_

The body count grows—never too much or too little, but just enough. The investigations continue, but stop short of linking either him or Kuroha to the crimes. Eventually, things come to a head at the roof of the hospital one dark, frigid night.

‘You’ve been targeting the investigators.’  


“Well, it wouldn’t be useful if they stopped our game prematurely, would it?”  


‘In any case, I’ve decided to cancel our transactions.’  


“Why? Did the guilt finally catch up to you?”  


‘No, I’ve just gotten enough of what I need.’  


That seems to give Kuroha pause for a second, before he shifts into a broad grin. “How _cold.”_

‘Not as cold as you,’ Yagen says, and presses a button on his remote. The large water tank behind Kuroha suddenly _cracks, _splashing the snake in a flood of clear liquid. Except it’s not water, but liquid nitrogen that freezes on contact with his body. After the smoking stops, Yagen calmly walks up to the frozen figure of the snake and kicks him unceremoniously over the edge of the roof.  


He faintly hears the sound of splintering pieces as he slips back through the doorway leading to the stairs. Was it sudden? _Yes._ Was it callous? _Of course._ Was it an abrupt end to a story just reaching its buildup? _Most definitely._

But Kuroha was right. _He could care less._

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly I'm saving this for the Yagen character study more than anything else because my KagePro knowledge is nearly zilch and this was done from the dregs of a mini-research session one day~


End file.
